Quinoa Queen

that's what i like to call myself.  (queenoa for short. and quinoa-tifa. =)

not really, but i do love it. once upon a time i ate it almost everyday! i felt like i had discovered gold the first time i tried it. for reals.

quinoa is extremely versatile, full of protein and nutrients and easy to digest. i get it for $2.99/lb from the bulk bin. it's one of the more expensive seeds/grains but well worth the price imo. (always be sure to rinse quinoa very well to wash away the bitter saponin coating.)
  

behold, my favorite marinade for quinoa (from Donna).

~*~
2 T coconut oil - if thick then heat to melt
1/4 t toasted sesame oil
1 t raw organic agave
1/2" piece of ginger (or more), grated
3 T (or less) wheat-free shoyu or tamari, to taste
~*~

the marinade goes very nicely with mango, banana, and coconut quinoa salad.  it's also great on steamed broccoli with almonds. yum!

asparagus quinoa is just as delish.

one of the many things i love about quinoa is it tastes great warm or cold. it actually gets tastier as it sits in the fridge.

and it's always a yummy addition to soups and salads.

i tried sprouting quinoa but it got really smelly and i had to compost it. maybe because it was midsummer and too warm in the kitch?

anywho, if you have any delicious raw or cooked quinoa recipes to share, please do! i'd love to try something new for fall.

(im thinking of stuffing it in baked acorn squash, kind of like what my friend Bonnie made...you know i'll be blogging about it if i do!)